


'til death -

by carminesunset



Series: AFTG Bingo 2018 [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Future Fic, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 11:46:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16786345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carminesunset/pseuds/carminesunset
Summary: - do us part.Nicky regrets nothing.(AFTG Nicky/Erik Bingo Prompt: One wakes up in the past)





	'til death -

As he looks up at his daughter’s face, he finds that there is nothing in his life he can regret if it leads him here.

Erik is gone. A pervasive cough that never managed to leave took him away from this world - he was a few months shy of seeing their first great-grandbaby’s face. Even now, five years later, Nicky aches for him, reaches for him in the morning, only to be crushed when his hand is met with empty air.

“Don’t cry, Liebling,” he says. Petra clutches his hand tightly, as tear after tear pours down her face. “I’m old and sick. Perhaps it is time for me to join your father.”

“Papa,” she says, and stops. Her husband steps forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t cry,” he says again. With a shaky hand, he wipes away her tears with a shaky thumb, just as though she is 9 again and has scraped her knee from a fall. She closes her eyes and leans into his touch. “I will always be with you.”

The hospital room door slides open and his grandchild walks in.

“Grandpa?” Natalie stops for a moment, and Nicky can see the very moment that she realizes that he is dying. “Oh, no…”

“G’anpa!” Natalie’s husband peeks through the doorway with their son in his arms. He’s wriggling madly in an attempt to get down.

“Oh, is that my favorite little boy in the whole world? Please, let him sit with me,” Nicky says. His granddaughter’s husband sets him down on the bed beside him, and Nicky is struck by how large he’s gotten since he’s last seen him. “Junior… Erik junior. So fitting. You look just like your great-granddaddy when he was younger. You’re gonna be a looker for sure.”

“Hi, G’an’pa,” Erik Jr. simply says. “Are you coming to my Exy game tomorrow?”

Now Nicky’s eyes are watering. “No, my boy… I’m very sick, you see. But - but maybe your parents will be able to record it for me and show it to me, okay?”

“It’s my first game, G’an’pa! You have to promise me you can’t miss it.” Erik Jr. leans forward and plants a smacking kiss on Nicky's cheek and he feels his heart clench. "Mommy always says that kisses make boo-boos disappear! They make me feel better. You feel better, right?"

“I feel much better, thank you." And it's true. His body is still weak but his spirits feel lifted. He's so proud of his family. "I can't promise I'll be well enough to go to your game. But... I can promise you that I’ll be cheering you on no matter what.” Behind Erik jr., Natalie is silently weeping, and Petra reaches over to clutch her daughter to her chest.

“Please don’t be sad,” Nicky says, smiling. “I have lived a long life. I love you all. Smile for me? One last time.”

Through her shaky tears, Natalie manages a smile. Petra brushes hair out of his face and smiles, too, albeit sadly.

“Grandpa,” Natalie says, leaning forward to hug him. “I love you.”

Nicky reaches out with the last of his strength to hug her back. When they pull away, he can feel the pull of sleep begin to take him. His arm twitches and he reaches to the side, where it meets nothing. He’s so very, very sleepy.

“I am very tired,” he says. “Petra - Petra, where is your father? I can’t seem to find him…”

He closes his eyes.

-

When he wakes up, he is warm, but naked. He can feel the sunlight draped over his back, and he feels well-rested, but still, he wants to go back to sleep. What did he dream about? All he remembers is the desperate desire to see Erik once more —

A gentle kiss is pressed on his shoulder.

The memories flood back, and he remembers that he was dying - is dead? He opens his eyes and he sees Erik, looking just as beautiful as always, just… younger. Much younger. He looks apologetic.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Erik asks. “I was just about to call for room service. We still have an hour left for breakfast.” He slips in close, and Nicky sighs into the kiss Erik presses to his lips. It’s been -- too long, but with sheets pooled around him and Erik pushing him back down into the sheets with soft murmurs of affection, he remembers where he is.

More than half a century ago, he married the love of his life. This is where he is. This is where he has come back to. The first night of their honeymoon.

Erik pulls away, and Nicky clutches at him desperately before he can leave. There’s so much he wants to say, but he finds he is unable to speak.

‘ _I want to tell you about our children, our great-grandchild; he’s playing Exy, and he takes after his great-great-uncle, Andrew. He’s named after you, and I know you would be so embarrassed, yet so pleased. I can tell, he'll have all your charm and all of Natalie's looks. And speaking of Natalie, she finally got her PhD. Petra got an amazing promotion -’_

“I’ll be right back, Nicky, I promise,” Erik says, pulling away slightly to smile at him. Nicky feels himself speak without his permission, a perfect playback of this morning.

“Not soon enough,” Nicky pouts. “We only have a week.”

“A week is seven days.” Erik rolls his eyes. “A week is enough time to have you in every spot of this honeymoon suite.” Nicky sighs at that and rolls away, flopping on his back dramatically.

“But then we have to go back to our real lives! To our jobs!”

“But we’ll be going back to our lives _together._ ” Nicky stops at that, feeling himself become teary-eyed because _yes_ they promised their lives together and also their deaths -- _‘til death do us part_ . And they do. They do live their lives together for many, many years. They cry when they slide over the adoption papers to the wonderful teenager they’re fostering, and she says _yes_. They both are both their for her when she graduates, when she marries. Nicky watches as she holds her child, their grandchild, and he once believed that his heart couldn’t hold any more love, but he is proven wrong again, and again, and again.

“Remember, Mr. Klose?” Erik picks up Nicky’s hand and places a kiss on his palm. “You’re my _husband_ , now.”

“If you say so, Mr. Klose...” Erik only laughs, and finally Nicky allows him to leave the bed, admiring his figure all the while. “I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave,” Nicky sighs. Erik only wiggles his _assets_ in response, as he leaves the bedroom to call for room service.

Nicky can feel sleep pulling at him. He remembers that he wakes up to the smell of pancakes and bacon, and Erik’s thigh pressing sensually between his legs. He also knows that if he falls asleep, he won’t be experiencing that again.

He’s made his peace, though. His soul aches to experience this life again, but something inside him just _knows_ that whatever is waiting on the other side will lead him back to Erik.

Nicky closes his eyes and sleeps without regret.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry
> 
> hmu @ tumblr: mokuuton


End file.
